Villages in Dominica evacuated as the impact of Erika lingers

Roseau, Dominica (TDN) Prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit has ordered residents of Bagatelle and Petite Savanne in Dominica to evacuate their homes three days after the passage of Tropical Storm Erika.

As the horror and the magnitude of the disaster became known residents were told that their safety could no longer be guaranteed given the instability and the possibility of further landslides.

Tropical storm Erika triggered numerous landslides in the Petite Savanne area resulting in the deaths of at least 25 residents.

Urban Baron who represented the Petite Savanne constituency for more than twenty years described the area as worse than a war zone. He said the village had become unrecognizable as “ravines got 15 – 20 feet deeper, rivers widened by over 30 feet and the entire village was separated in at least five different sections.”

“More than 50 homes were on the verge of collapse and there were landslides everywhere,” he added. Baron who walked to the village on the morning following the storm described a situation of utter devastation. Shocked residents dug with their bare hands in a frantic search for survivors. In the end only five bodies were recovered and more than 15 were still missing.

One of the many landslides in Petite Savanne.

Among the dead were three entire families swallowed up by the rampaging mudslides. Baron also lamented the lack of proper equipment and personnel involved in the search and were doubtful that the other bodies would be recovered.

With the near complete devastation, Skerrit eventually ordered residents to leave. However, it could not be ascertained how many would be able to get out given that in certain areas homes were surrounded by deep valleys and impassable roads.

There is a growing realization to some that this may be the final evacuation and that it is quite likely that the village of Petite Savanne will be completely abandoned.